Photo: Erik Drost · CC BY 2.0
27 Basketball
RudyGobert
French centre Rudy Gobert protects the paint for the Minnesota Timberwolves, with four Defensive Player of the Year awards behind him.
Gobert explained
Rudy Gobert carries French basketball into the NBA's front rank: a centre who learned the professional game at Cholet Basket from 2011, moved to the Utah Jazz two years later, and represents France at international level. His club career rests on defensive authority rather than scoring volume. When he joined Minnesota in 2022, the Timberwolves were importing a national-team cornerstone as much as a rim protector.
At Minnesota he plays the five, and at 2.16 metres his reach is used to erase shots and protect the rim rather than to score. Four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, eight All-Defensive First Team selections and a French player of the year honour describe a career defined at that end. He is listed at 27 for the Timberwolves.
Route to the league
Club record
Your questions
Born on 26 June 1992 in Saint-Quentin, France, Rudy Gobert is 34 years old.
Standing 2.16 m tall, he plays as a center in the NBA.
The NBA has named him an All-Star three times, covering the 2020 to 2022 seasons.
Rudy Gobert has not retired and is still playing, having turned professional in 2011.
Wearing number 27, he plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA and also represents France internationally.